10 Tiny lies it's ok to tell in a relationship

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Any good relationship is built on honesty, but honestly, sometimes there are moments when a little white lie is more effective than the truth. Obviously, you shouldn't be fibbing left and right, but believe it or not, every so often, a small but well-intended lie is the very thing your relationship needs. Here are some of those moments.

1. That you're really busy tonight. It's hard for it to not feel personal when you're telling your S.O. that you just need a night without them, so what's the harm in saying you just gotta crank out some work? Even if "work" is the entire last season of Friends.

2. That you like their favorite TV show. Hey, quality time is quality time, and even though you'd rather not watch heads get chopped off in Game of Thrones, it's worth it if your partner is having a good time. Just as long as they are equally obliging with the shows *~you~* love.

3. That you totally get all their jokes. Unless they're a professional comedian, chances are that not every wisecrack is going to crack you up. And because nothing feels worse than bombing in front of the person you love, it's not always worth calling them out on a bad joke.

4. That you didn't notice that stain. Yes, that hot sauce stain has been on their shorts all day, but you were nowhere near a faucet or a Tide to Go pen, so you figured they'd feel a whole lot better about it if they thought nobody noticed.

5. That of course, you love shrimp ... especially because they asked you after they finished making you a romantic dinner with shrimp in it. The difference between "like" and "love" is just not worth stressing about. (But to be clear, we're talking food, not people).

6. That you're still asleep. A few more minutes of sleep can do wonders, so that early morning "you up?" doesn't need a response. Yet.

7. That you haven't seen that movie before. After scrolling through Netflix for hours, someone has to take one for the team and pretend they haven't seen Fargo.

8. That it's totally cool with you that they can't make your friend's birthday party. Now, if they don't seem to come to any of your friends' gatherings, that's a different conversation. But if it's one night, a little lie is totally better than an awkward argument, even if it means swallowing your annoyance. Once you're out with your friends, you'll forget all about it.

9. That you didn't see their text message. Forgetting to respond is a simple mistake, but you don't want your partner reading too much into it. Just save the hassle and say you never saw it.